11 April 2011

The World Has Changed

At last, 61 seconds of film in succint reply to the incessant whining about how things can't change, behaviour won't change, people won't ride bicycles in 'my' city, blahblahblah. From the World Wildlife Fund in Canada. Via @katsdekker and @thecyclingjim

I loved this! I'm also excited because I plan on being in CPH later this week and can't wait to experience bicycle culture after only hearing about it via blogs, videos and such. I'm already preparing myself for months of depression afterword.

Yes, at the end of the first one they were clueless to give the guy a bike with which he could carry his briefcase. Actually this whole video really annoys me. It is really smug and I really really wonder if it makes a difference.

One thing that struck me is how it's the kind of video that could easily be taken by the usual suspects as an argument for wearing helmets (only for bikes, of course, since bike-riding is so dangerous, unlike anything else).

Maybe in Canada those things have changed...but I've seen them all quite alive and well in the U.S., and quite recently (granted, the smoking doctors and pregnant women are _outside_ the hospital now. Otherwise, though, not much is different.).

Kilometres cycled by Copenhageners so far today

Copenhagenize.com is the blog of Copenhagenize Design Company. Online since 2007 and highlighting the cycling life in Copenhagen and around the world.

40 years ago Copenhagen was just as car-clogged as anywhere else but now 41% of the population arriving at work or education do so on bicycles, from all over the Metro area. 55% of Copenhageners themselves use bicycles each day. They all use over 1000 km of bicycle lanes in Greater Copenhagen for their journeys. Copenhagenizing is possible anywhere.